IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
[August, 1902.] 
2 1 1 
Vol. VIII. No. 92. 
cheapening of living, and so re-act on the prosperity of the country. The 
question is important, and demands immediate attention. If the London 
houses and big mining companies could arrange a modus operandi in 
conjunction with the Government, a great step would have been taken 
towards the settlement of the South African problem. 
In Gibraltar the usual mischief has been afoot between the trade unions 
and the employers’ federation, the former demanding the right to nominate 
the men to be employed and to receive their pay for distribution after 
deduction of the union levies. There appears little cause for sympathising 
with the men unless it be on account of their ill-advisedness in resorting to 
strike methods where the influence of military discipline is so strong. Con- 
siderable hindrance was caused in the working of the port, and bluejackets 
and soldiers had to be requisitioned for the unloading of the ships. A 
settlement was arrived at by the 12th of the month, by which time over 
1.000 men had accepted the employers’ terms and registered their names as 
free labour workers. By the middle of the month work was proceeding 
smoothly again. 
Foreign Countries. — As was forecasted in this column last month, the 
strike of miners in the anthracite districts of the United States did not 
spread to the soft coal industry, all concerned recognising the unwisdom of a 
general stoppage. The National Convention of the United Mine Workers 
adopted the recommendation of their president that there should be an 
assessment of one dollar a week for all members of unions. According to 
the New York State Bureau of Labour Statistics the amount of idleness 
among the members of New York labour organizations in the first quarter of 
1902 was far smaller than it has been in the months of January, February 
and March in any recent year. Heretofore, at least, 10 per cent, of trade 
unionists have been idle during these months, but this year the proportion 
has fallen to 6'2 per cent. Similarly the proportion of unionists at the end 
of the quarter was only 13 ‘6 per cent, in 1902, as compared with 30*6 per 
cent, in 1897, and 18 '3 per cent, in 1899, the best record hitherto for the 
end of March. While the improvement is fairly general, it is particularly 
noticeable in the building trades, which contain nearly one-third of all the 
members of the labour organisations in the State. In the clothing trade, too, 
the proportion of unemployed unionists was much smaller than usual, 
although it did not quite equal the remarkable record of 1S99. While the 
proportion of union wage-earners who found some employment in January, 
February or March, increased very largely in comparison with other years, 
the duration of their employment averaged only a little better than in the 
corresponding months of the previous year. The average number of days 
worked by the men increased from 58 in 1897 to a little less than 67 in 1901, 
and 6 7 '3 in 1902. Average earnings of organized working men increased in 
about the same ratio, having been $155 in the first quarter of 1897, a little 
less than $183 in 1901, and a little over $184 in 1902. On the whole, there- 
fore, the conditions of the labour market were better in the first three months 
of the present year than they have been in the corresponding period of any 
year since the depression of 1893. 
The revival of the German industries during this spring, has not 
been permanent, as in the month of May a considerable decrease in 
the demand for labour set in, showing a more unfavourable condition than in 
May, 1901, in which the results of the industrial depression became first very 
keenly apparent. In some trades a direct decrease of employees has taken 
place, notably in the tailoring and hatters’ business, in the brewing trade, 
several branches of the metal industry, in mining and smelting. The build- 
ing trade in some German cities, as, for instance, in Hamburg, is in a favour- 
able condition, while in Munich and Stuttgart the reverse is the case. In the 
textile industry the demand for labour has decreased. The general condition 
of the labour market has changed, especially unfavourably in the largest 
cities. In some an absolute decrease of employees has taken place, like 
Berlin, Munich and Dresden. Where an increase has occurred it is less than 
in the corresponding month of 1901, like Stuttgart, Leipzic, Frankfort-on-the- 
Main and Strassburg. While in 1901 there were 145 ‘i applicants for each 
100 vacancies, the number was 172 in May, 1902. 'The supply of male 
labour has increased to 224‘3 for 100 vacancies, against 177*9 in May, 1901. 
The growing unfavourable condition of the labour market from one month 
to the other is so apparent that confidence that the crisis is over is shown to 
be unfounded. 
Spain, where labou v troubles are always present, has come fairly smoothly 
through a strike of agricultural labourers at Jerez, only to be confronted 
with an extensive agitation amongst the railway employees. The affair at 
Jerez, after some judicious persuasion on the part of the Alcade, terminated 
in the more reasonable of the labourers’ requests being granted. It is gratify- 
ing to note that the Anarchist societies of the southern provinces have little 
influence on the agriculturists ; it is to be hoped that a similar state of affairs 
will be found to exist in connection with the railway dispute. 

Iron, for America. — The recent shipments of iron from the Tees include a cargo of about 
4.000 tons for Philadelphia. The fact is of importance for two reasons. At present the demand 
for pig iron for export feels the loss of the enquiry from Germany, which is one of the largest 
usually made on Tecsside. And it shows also that there is a very full demand for pig iron in that 
country which is the largest producer, and which seems likely in the future to be our chief 
competitor. The sale to the United States shows that we need not fear competition from there 
in our markets for some time at least, and it helps us to take up the large production of pig iron 
that we have at present. We shall in some future time have to meet great competition ; and 
if we can keep our stocks low, it will be a benefit to us when that time arrives. — Newcastle 
Chronicle, 
Coke Production. — Ii used to be said that the County of Durham was the leading centre for 
the production of coke ; but it has given first place to the Connellsville region of America. In 
that district, there are no fewer than 21,000 coke ovens, all but a comparatively small number 
being in operation. The production of coke is over 240,000 tons weekly, which is by far the 
largest quantity produced in any of the coke-making regions of the world. Very naturally, this 
plentiful supply of a cheap fuel has had the result of stimulating the smelting industries of the 
United States, until the production of pig iron and of steel is above that of any of the competing 
countries in the universe. Whether that vast production could be continued if the range of prices 
were to show such a fall as has been previously known is doubtful, but there would then be great 
competition both in coal and iron between the producers in various countries, as has been hinted 
at above,' — Newcastle Chronicle. 
Bi-- 3 A 1,1 
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT 
OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. 
« 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF INLAND WATER CARRIAGE IN 
GREAT BRITAIN. 
A considerable amount of attention has been devoted by manufacturers during the 
last few years to the possibility of securing a less expensive means of transport, especially for 
goods of comparatively low value, than is at present provided by the railway systems of the 
country. In view of the great development of water-carriage in France and Belgium and to 
a less, but increasing, extent in Germany, it is natural that in England also the question of 
utilizing this method of transport should he raised. In this connection interest attaches 
to a paper read at a recent meeting (April 30, 1902) of the Liverpool section of the 
Society of Chemical Industry, by Mr. A. Carey, M.Sc. , on this subject, in which the 
author pointed out that, while this country possessed a canal system 4,050 miles in 
length, very little use is made of it at the present time, although before the introduction 
of railways canal transport was very common. The reasons for this lapse appear to he — 
(1) That the canals are owned in comparatively short lengths by independent companies, 
each charging its own rate, and so introducing great confusion where long journeys are 
made ; (2) That on all the most important canals some portions are invariably held by 
competing railway companies, in whose interest the rates at such points are always high ; 
(3) That the locks and water-way vary greatly in size, necessitating corresponding 
variation in the boats employed, or, on long voyages, of the largest boats which can be 
used in the smallest canal 01 route. The effects of these various difficulties may be seen 
in the following tabular statement, showing the canal route from Liverpool to London : — ■ 
Water-way. 
Length. 
Sizes of Locks. 
Cost of Transport. 
Regent’s Canal .... 
Grand junction Canal. 
Oxford Canal .... 
Warwick and Hapton Canal 
Warwick and Birmingham . 
Birmingham Canal 
Stafford and Worcestershire 
Shropshire Union Canal 
Mersey ..... 
Miles. 
8{- 
IOI 
5 
U 
22 
G 
68* 
10 i 
Feet. 
90 x 18 x 5 
80 x 14 x 4^ 
So x 14x4^ 
72x7x4 
72 X 7 X 4 
72 x 7 x 4 
72x7x4 
So x 7§ x 4 
So x 7I x 4 
The t£ through ” rate is four 
shillings and sixpence per 
ton for the total distance 
of 245 miles, of which 
one shilling and sixpence 
is charged by the Birming- 
ham Canal (15 miles long) 
because of an agreement 
with the local railway com- 
pany. 
The author proceeds to discuss the much more satisfactory conditions obtaining in 
the more important Continental countries : thus, in F ranee, although the railway rates there are 
on the whole lower than in England, great pains have been taken to improve inland 
water carriage, so that at present the average rate is from "lydd. to '22d. on the State canals, 
on which since 1S70 £40,000,000 have been spent in improvements. In Belgium all the 
canals are owned by the State, which makes no charge for interest on capital, but charges 
a small amount to cover the cost of maintenance. 
As regards the advantages and disadvantages of transport by water compared with 
that by rail, the author points out that the initial cost of canal construction is much less 
than that of railways, the figures for England being respectively .£9,600 and £50,000 
per mile, whilst the relative conveying powers of canals and railways are, according to 
the French Commission on Canals of 1S72, as 50 to 100. The cost of maintenance is, 
according to the Report of the same Commission, about £90 per mile of canal, whilst the 
figure for railways in England in 1899 was £450 for the same distance. The cost of water 
carriage was stated to be in 1SS3 on the Aire and Caider Canal ‘24d. per mile for 
horse haulage and ‘03d. for steam haulage, whilst according to the French Commission 
the cost in the latter country in 1872 was ‘37d. per mile, and in America the usual amount 
is about ’id. at the present time. These figures compare very favourably with the cost of 
railway transport, which Mr. Carey estimates at about *3Sd. per ton per mile. On the 
other hand greater expedition in delivery is secured by railway transport, and when this 
difference in time of transit is considerable, account must he taken of the interest on 
the money realisable by the sale of the cargo. Canals are also liable to he stopped by 
ice in winter and by shortness of water in summer, although these are difficulties usually 
surmountable by modern engineers. In the discussion which followed the reading of this 
paper, several prominent manufacturers took part, and generally the opinion seemed to 
be held that support should be given to legislation tending to promote the formation of 
public trusts to take charge of the canals now in existence, and to make new ones where 
necessary, and it is understood that a Bill of this kind will be brought before Parliament 
in the near future. 
EFFECT OF THE ALCOHOL DUTY ON CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN 
ENGLAND. 
During the last twenty years there has developed (especially on the Continent) an 
enormous industry in the manufacture of organic substances for use as dyes, medicinal 
agents, and explosives. It might have been supposed, in view of the premier position 
held by this country as a producer of chemicals, such as alkalies and sulphuric acid, that 
the newer branches of chemical manufacture would be likely to take root here, especially 
since there exists in the waste products of gas manufacture a large supply of the necessary 
raw materials. P’or various reasons, however, such a development has not occurred, and 
at the present time there is considerable discussion among those interested in chemical 
manufacture in this country concerning the removal of difficulties supposed to militate 
against the establishment of such industries in England ; of these the duty which must 
be paid on alcohol by manufacturers is one of the most important, since, in Germany 
and other countries chemical works of the description already referred to are with certain 
restrictions permitted to use pure alcohol without the payment of any duty, or are granted 
a rebate on the alcohol consumed in the course of manufacturing operations. A paper 
enumerating the branches of organic chemical manufacture which are practically non- 
existent here as the result of the operation of this duty, was recently read to the Society 
of Chemical Industry, by D. O. Silberrad, Chemist to the Explosives Committee, and is 
published in the current number of the Society’s Journal (June 30, 1902). The author 
points out that in the extraction of alkaloids, glucosides, and essential oils from plants, 
and in the manufacture of various pharmaceutical preparations in which alcohol must be 
employed as a solvent, although the latter is to a large extent recovered, yet there is an 
invariable loss of from five to ten per cent., which prevents the home-made article from 
competing on favourable terms with foreign products, on which, since they contain no 
alcohol, no Customs duty is chargeable. Most of the goods here enumerated cannot be 
made by the use of methylated spirit, since the impurities present in the latter accumulate 
in the finished product, causing deterioration in appearance and quality. The case is still 
worse where alcohol is employed as a solvent to enable two substances to re-act with each 
other, since in such operations part of the solvent is often destroyed, and so is no longer 
recoverable, even to the extent of the 90 per cent, mentioned in the previous case. It 
is, however, in the colour industry that the duty on alcohol is most oppressne, since in 
